Elevated improvisation within a structure. Its kind of what I’m doing here. And, it would be appropriate at this time to ask the question: What’s the point? The point these connections, these relationships shouldn’t be taken lightly. The brain is a buzzing slab of electro-excitability that needs its connections, its synapses and neurons to be firing.

I have Lewy body dementia where the connections get snowed in; the neurons get caught in a sticky pile of excess proteins. I get that I have a lot of storage capacity but every day a little is being chipped away. Lewy body dementia robs people the ability to make those connections.

Please join us July 20 for a fund raiser basketball tournament to raise money to fight this horrible disease. I didn’t ask to be the poster boy in this, but I am so happy to be involved. We have raised a total of $25,000 in two years and are looking to do much more.

If basketball isn’t your thing, we have an after party at TrimTab brewery open and free to all. We’ll have Karaoke, purple T-shirts for sale and I hear there may be some dunking going on.

Relationships can be tricky. A misperceived comment; fumbled attempts to help. We listen but aren’t really listening. We make assumptions that aren’t true and build with those assumptions our own wrong-headed case for action – the wrong action.

From the archives today, we have something I wrote about 18 months ago. I believe I meant it as a warning that like a gentle rose, relationships need nurturing to keep the connections alive.

What is more fragile than a relationship?

A day too old rose waiting for one touch to send petals spinning to the ground.

The stability of a family facing a future with too many ifs.

The conviction that doing right is always right. Or always doing right is right.

The profundity of a well educated person.

The joy of sleeping when really really worn out.

The reality you see right now.

The love you can't define but know it's true.

The knowledge that the straight trail is better than the switchback.

The theory that a theory is not truth.

The laugh between old friends you may not see again.

The idea that your decisions don't affect the world.

The notion that there are things that are impossible.

Caring, love as I rearrange everything

What is rare as a loving relationship?

DId you find that yellow bird?

Reach Mike Oliver at moliver@al.com and read his blog at myvinylcountdown.com